| Money Talks |
|
|
|
| Written by Troy Chuinard | |
| Monday, 05 November 2007 | |
Ridiculous. Outrageous. Unimaginable. These are just a few of the adjectives used to describe the contracts that free agents are receiving in the current baseball market. Teams are throwing out all kinds of money to acquire the players that they feel will have a significant impact for their organization. The amount of money being tossed around has caused much debate as to whether or not it is fair that only the higher market ball clubs are able to attract today’s superstars. Critics have claimed that an imbalance in the league has been created as a result of the free market.
Just how much money are players receiving? Let’s take a look at one of the hottest free agents this off-season, Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod just opted out of his contract with the New York Yankees, and he is now accepting offers from teams in hopes of finding the most lucrative deal. His most recent contract was a 10-year, $252 million package issued by the Texas Rangers. There is no telling how much A-Rod’s agent, Scott Boras, will be demanding this winter. Undoubtedly, there will only be a handful of teams that will be in the bidding for the game’s most premiere athlete. The Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets have all stated that they would be interested in negotiating with Rodriguez and his agent. The contract that A-Rod signs will easily be the largest in MLB history. Experts have estimated that once the deal is complete, A-Rod will be paid somewhere around $30-$35 million each year. Is it fair that certain organizations, such as the Florida Marlins, have no shot at acquiring this phenomenal athlete? Last off-season, the Chicago Cubs acquired outfielder Alfonso Soriano as part of their $300 million spending spree. Soriano signed an eight-year, $136 million deal loaded with all kinds of perks and incentives. It was the fifth largest contract offered in MLB history. Is the slugging left-fielder really worth what was paid? It is hard to say, but the fact of the matter is that is what the Cubs had to offer in order to sign him. Soriano certainly talked with numerous teams during the off-season, but it was the money placed in front of him from Cubs’ General Manager Jim Hendry that lured him to Wrigley Field. There is no question that the Washington Nationals, Soriano’s previous team, were not able to afford one of their most valuable assets during the 2006 season. The team that seems to take the biggest hit from this financial issue is the Florida Marlins. With one of the best farm systems in the league, it is hard for the organization to let go of players such as this year’s World Series MVP Mike Lowell and Boston ace Josh Beckett simply because they don’t have the necessary funds. During the 2007 season, the Marlins total team payroll stood at approximately $30 million. It is shocking to realize that this amount was almost the equivalent of Alex Rodriguez’s individual salary alone. Current Marlins superstars Miguel Cabrera and Hanley Ramirez have contracts that will be expiring in the upcoming years. Will Florida be able to dish out attractive deals to maintain these young, talented athletes? Evidently, the imbalance of competition in Major League Baseball has a strong relationship with the amount of money that teams are able to spend. MLB administrators ought to consider implementing some type of financial constraints to insure equilibrium throughout the league. While it wouldn’t be surprising to see a salary cap in the future, it is hard to determine if any current action is being discussed. It will be very interesting to see if any measures are taken, as the contracts being offered in the current market are starting to draw a fine line between the good teams and the bad.
            |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|